The Fight for the Perfect Fit

Going digital
In only two weeks, eQuality Tech developed key parts of the process that could speed Fight-Bite’s production twentyfold.

The first step in the digital process is 3D scanning of the dental impression for the athlete. eQuality Tech uses a Rexcan DS2 scanner from Solutionix, which is designed for dental and small-component scanning. Set-up and scanning takes only two minutes. The output is a standardized STL-format CAD file that is imported into Geomagic Studio software.

“Geomagic Studio plays a major role in the process,” said Urosev. “Its ability to thoroughly automate what used to be manual steps is amazing.”

A watertight 3D model of an individually-customized mouthguard that provides better protection and comfort for the athlete. Using 3D digital technologies, creation time is reduced from a day to an hour or less.

After bringing the scan model into Geomagic Studio, Urosev decimates it to reduce its size for faster processing, then fills holes and reduces data noise that gets collected during the scanning process. The sculpting tool in Geomagic enables Urosev to define, add, and remove the margin lines needed for manufacturing. He then takes a scan of the exterior shape of the athlete’s mouthguard and aligns it with the clean impression.

“This is a bit tricky,” said Urosev, “since the shape of an existing mouthguard does not match the shape of the new impression. Geomagic Studio enables me to warp and shape the regions that are different, then merge the two together to create a new mouthguard.”

The last step is cleaning up, trimming, filling holes, and removing overlap to create a watertight 3D digital model.

Tackling the manufacturing challenge
With the daylong process of manually creating a customized mouthguard reduced to a one-hour digital process, eQuality Tech and Fight-Bite are turning their attention to manufacturing.

One of the sticking points is the materials used in mouthguards -- ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or PolyShok. Currently, no 3D printing device uses these types of materials. eQuality Tech and Fight-Bite are exploring three different options:

3D printing the mouthguards if a 3D printer can be found to handle EVA or PolyShok

3D printing a simple mold and pouring EVA or PolyShok material into it

3D printing a simple and cost-effective tool that can form the EVA or PolyShok into a mouthguard.

Conquering the previously impossible
The timing for mass customization of mouthguards couldn’t come too soon for Fight-Bite, as the company seeks to expand beyond its core market of mixed martial arts to other sports such as football, basketball, ice hockey, and lacrosse.

“We’re concentrating on producing highly customized products in a mass setting,” said Bitterman. “We think we can now do what was thought impossible just a couple of years ago.”

—Bob Cramblitt is a freelancer who writes about 3D digital technologies that transform the seemingly impossible or highly improbable into reality.

3D scanning is a critical part of this whole effort. With it, companies like Fight-Bite no longer have to go through the time consuming and messy mold making process required by mouth guards and other products. The customization angle is huge--that's why this has traditionally been a manual, one-off development process.

I'm waiting with bated breath for this to come to dentists for mouth-guards. Two weeks, the standard time for making them from molds, is much too long if you're having trouble sleeping due to snoring or teeth grinding.

Chuck, the type you mention is pretty old, just past the ones you heat in boiling water and bite into. The next stage, which comes before the one described in this article, is what I've got. I bite into some truly disgusting gloppy pink stuff in a form and almost choke on it for a minute or two while it's hardening--but that's only the mold. Then I wait two weeks while a lab does I don't know what--twiddle their thumbs?--and then I get the clear plastic, looking just like the one in the photo to this story. The one described here would be a lot better than what I've got for the speed alone, and much better than the earlier-stage ones (I've used them, too).

It's amazing how much dental care has evolved over the years, this is yet another revolution in dental health. We all want better teeth, you can learn more here about ways to keep them clean and healthy, there really isn't any excuse for bad teeth anymore considering the online resources we all have access to.

Industrial workplaces are governed by OSHA rules, but this isn’t to say that rules are always followed. While injuries happen on production floors for a variety of reasons, of the top 10 OSHA rules that are most often ignored in industrial settings, two directly involve machine design: lockout/tagout procedures (LO/TO) and machine guarding.

Load dump occurs when a discharged battery is disconnected while the alternator is generating current and other loads remain on the alternator circuit. If left alone, the electrical spikes and transients will be transmitted along the power line, leading to malfunctions in individual electronics/sensors or permanent damage to the vehicle’s electronic system. Bottom line: An uncontrolled load dump threatens the overall safety and reliability of the vehicle.

While many larger companies are still reluctant to rely on wireless networks to transmit important information in industrial settings, there is an increasing acceptance rate of the newer, more robust wireless options that are now available.

To those who have not stepped into additive manufacturing, get involved as soon as possible. This is for the benefit of your company. When the new innovations come out, you want to be ready to take advantage of them immediately, and that takes knowledge.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.